Shift workers want childcare at night and weekends

Parents working shifts and unsociable hours want night-time and weekend childcare to help them juggle work and family responsibilities, according to government research.

A study for the education department published yesterday reveals parents are still deeply frustrated at the lack of affordable, flexible childcare which matches working hours, and want care available at times that suit their working hours, or for a few hours for ad hoc needs or emergencies.

The Conservatives have traditionally lagged far behind Labour on childcare, but in a speech today at the Equal Opportunities Commission Tory leader David Cameron is expected to propose moves to extend opportunities to work flexibly. Currently only parents of children under six and carers can ask for flexible working, but the party is proposing tax incentives for small businesses offering flexible arrangements. An EOC report being launched by Mr Cameron underlines the continuing tensions between Britain's long-hours work culture and growing pressure for new ways of working.

Despite a growth in flexible working, "old fashioned thinking means the majority of Britain's workforce are missing out", says the report. It says the UK lags behind its European competitors. While flexi-time is available in around 90% of German and Swedish companies, just 48% of UK companies offer it.

The EOC argues that flexible working can suit all workers and jobs in some form, but families report a mismatch between available childcare and the hours and times they are expected to work.

Research for the Department for Education and Skills, conducted by the Daycare Trust, found parents identified "numerous gaps in childcare provision that prevent barriers to uptake". Parents spoke of long waiting lists, requiring them to ring round dozens of providers to find a childcare place, sometimes forcing them to use poor quality care.

The hours care is available often restricts employment opportunities for parents, the report says. "For lone parents trying to enter the workforce, having childcare available at the right times is crucial to their decision on whether to take a job."

At the Daycare Trust conference, the shadow education secretary, David Willetts, warned against government plans to extend free childcare places for three- and four-year-olds from 12½ hours a week to 15. Private and voluntary nurseries feared that the government funding available was too little to pay for the provision.

However, Daycare Trust chief executives Alison Garnham and Emma Knights said: "At the very least, all parties should acknowledge the need to deliver at least 20 hours of free, high-quality early years care and education to all three- and four- year-olds, whether their parents work or not, as it has untold benefits for children, parents, and society as a whole."